Our heart determines our performance, priorities and behaviour
“Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.” Matthew 12:33-35
Our words, actions, the way we treat others, how we talk about others is a direct response to who we are as a person.
Stress or offense or anxiety may invoke a response from us that may seem out of character. But in fact, all the circumstances and the environment we find ourselves in don’t contribute to our behaviour. All they do is for a brief moment drop the veil or let the mask slip that we use to hide what is truly in our heart. Because the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
Blaming someone or something for your behaviour hides the fact that your behaviour is inherent to your true self, you have just been good at hiding it until how you present yourself is disturbed or compromised.
If you need to, take some time to pray “…create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10)
Jas